Yard Cleaner

ABSTRACT

A device for clearing yard debris comprises a ring encircling a void space, a bag having a mouth disposed about the ring. The ring has a proximal end and a distal end with a handle extending from the distal end of the ring and a blade attached to the proximal end of the ring.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a device for removing yard debris.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many people want to have a yard free of grass clippings, leaves, sticks, and other debris. Some daily clear their yard of such debris with a rake and bag. However this can become very cumbersome as once the debris is in a pile the real work of bagging the debris begins. Effort must be made to manually transfer the yard debris from the pile into bags that are then carried away. This is a time consuming and often frustrating process as it is difficult to efficiently pick up the debris from the pile and drop the debris into a bag. There is a need for a device that can be used to pick up yard debris such that the filling of yard bags is not as difficult a task.

The instant invention, with its multiple embodiments as disclosed within this application, fills this need. The art referred to and/or described within this application is not intended to constitute an admission that any patent, publication or other information referred to herein is “prior art” with respect to this invention. In addition, this section should not be construed to mean that a thorough search has been made or that no other pertinent information as defined in 37 C.F.R. §1.56(a) exists.

All US patents and applications and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Without limiting the scope of the invention, a brief summary of some of the claimed embodiments of the invention is set forth below. Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description of the Invention below.

A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification is provided as well, only for the purposes of complying with 37 C.F.R. 1.72. The abstract is not intended to be used for interpreting the scope of the claims.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In at least one embodiment of the invention, a device for clearing yard debris can include a ring encircling a void space, a bag having a mouth disposed about the ring. The ring can have a proximal end and a distal end with a handle extending from the distal end of the ring and a blade attached to the proximal end of the ring.

In at least one embodiment of the invention, the blade can have a width substantially the same as the width of the ring.

In at least one embodiment of the invention, the blade is bent or has a curved portion.

In at least one embodiment of the invention, a portion of the blade can be substantially parallel to the ring plane and a second portion of the blade forms an oblique angle with the ring plane.

In at least one embodiment of the invention, the ring is bent into a proximal ring portion and a distal ring portion, the proximal ring portion defining a proximal ring plane and the distal ring portion defining a distal ring plane, the proximal ring plane forming an oblique angle with the distal ring plane.

In at least one embodiment of the invention, the ring is substantially rectangular.

In at least one embodiment of the invention, the ring and the blade are of one-piece construction.

In at least one embodiment of the invention, the ring is constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of metal, polymers, plastics, ceramic, and any combination thereof.

In at least one embodiment of the invention, the mouth of the bag removably attaches to the ring.

These and other embodiments which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for further understanding of the invention, its advantages and objectives obtained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof and the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is illustrated and described embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

A detailed description of the invention is hereafter described with specific reference being made to the drawing.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodied yard waste device.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodied yard waste device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While this invention may be embodied in many different forms, there are described in detail herein specific preferred embodiments of the invention. This description is an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments illustrated. Additionally, within this application the term “proximal end” refers to the end of the ring and/or device having the blade. The term “distal end” refers to the end of the device that is opposite the proximal end.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the inventive device 10. The device 10 can have a handle 20 attached to a ring 30. A bag 40 attached to the ring 30 is durable enough to hold yard debris. A blade 50 can extend from the ring 30. The blade 50 can have a proximal blade end 52 that extends in a plane oblique to the plane that the ring 30 lies in. In some embodiments, a distal portion 53 of the blade is substantially parallel to the ring plane.

The bag 40 can have a mouth perimeter 60. The perimeter 60 can be constructed of the same materials as the rest of the bag 40 and/or different materials as the rest of the bag 40. The perimeter 60 can be rigidly constructed. In some embodiments, the portion shown here as the mouth perimeter 60 is an independent piece that connects to both the ring 30 and the bag 40. In some embodiments the bag 30 fits around the perimeter 60. In some embodiments the ring 30 is constructed such that the mouth perimeter 60 of FIG. 1 is instead a portion of the ring 30 and the bag 40 fits around the widened ring 30.

The bag can be constructed of cloth, paper, or plastic. It can also be constructed of netting; the netting can be constructed of cloth, paper, plastic, and/or metal.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the transition 55 from the ring 30 is closer to the ring 30 than is shown in FIG. 1. It should be noted that the transition 55 can also occur further from the ring 30 than is shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1-2 the bag 40 has a mouth perimeter 60 that includes outside perimeter 60′ and inside perimeter 60″. The mouth perimeter here includes straps 65 that extend from the outside perimeter 60′ over the ring 30 and to the inside perimeter 60″. The straps 65 affix the mouth perimeter 60 to the ring 30. In some embodiments the bag is designed to be removably attached, meaning that it is designed to be quickly removed and then quickly reattached. In some embodiments; the bag is designed to be permanently attached. The bag 40 can be affixed to the mouth perimeter 60 in a number of ways. In some embodiments the bag is affixed to the perimeter 60 by adhesive, rivets, screws, hook and loop material, clamps, hook and hole, soldering, melting, and/or welding.

As shown in FIGS. 1-2 the distal portion 52 of the blade 50 extends at an oblique angle from the plane of the ring. The distal portion 52 can extend 1 inch to 20 inches from the transition 55. As shown here the transition 55 occurs basically about a line; in some embodiments the transition 55 is a curve. In some embodiments the radius of the curve is between 0.05 inches and 3 inches. In some embodiments the proximal portion 52 is curved and in some embodiments the transition 55 is the beginning of a curve that ends at the proximal most end of the blade 50. In some embodiments the transition 55 is located at the ring 30.

In some embodiments the blade 50 is adhesively affixed, screwed, clamped, soldered, and/or welded to the ring 30. In some embodiments the blade and ring are of one piece construction. The blade 50 can have thickness of 0.05 inches to 0.25 inches. The ring can have a thickness of 0.1 to 0.5 inches; in some embodiments the mouth perimeter 60 is constructed as a part of the ring 30 thereby the ring can be up to 3 or more inches thick.

The ring can be constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of metal, polymers, plastics, ceramic, and any combination thereof.

The blade can be constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of metal, polymers, plastics, ceramic, and any combination thereof.

For the purposes of this disclosure, like reference numerals in the figures shall refer to like features unless otherwise indicated.

The above disclosure is intended to be illustrative and not exhaustive. This description will suggest many variations and alternatives to one of ordinary skill in this art. The various elements shown in the individual figures and described above may be combined or modified for combination as desired. All these alternatives and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claims where the term “comprising” means “including, but not limited to”.

Further, the particular features presented in the dependent claims can be combined with each other in other manners within the scope of the invention such that the invention should be recognized as also specifically directed to other embodiments having any other possible combination of the features of the dependent claims. For instance, for purposes of claim publication, any dependent claim which follows should be taken as alternatively written in a multiple dependent form from all prior claims which possess all antecedents referenced in such dependent claim if such multiple dependent format is an accepted format within the jurisdiction (e.g. each claim depending directly from claim 1 should be alternatively taken as depending from all previous claims). In jurisdictions where multiple dependent claim formats are restricted, the following dependent claims should each be also taken as alternatively written in each singly dependent claim format which creates a dependency from a prior antecedent-possessing claim other than the specific claim listed in such dependent claim below.

This completes the description of the preferred and alternate embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiment described herein which equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto. 

1. A device for clearing yard debris comprising: a ring encircling a void space, a bag having a mouth, the mouth disposed about the ring, the ring having a proximal end and a distal end, a handle extending from the distal end of the ring and a blade attached to the proximal end of the ring.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein the handle is elongated.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein the ring has a width, the blade having a width substantially the same as the width of the ring.
 4. The device of claim 1 wherein the blade is bent.
 5. The device of claim 4 wherein the ring defines a ring plane, a first portion of the blade is substantially parallel to the ring plane, a second portion of the blade forms an oblique angle with the ring plane.
 6. The device of claim 1 wherein the ring is bent into a proximal ring portion and a distal ring portion, the proximal ring portion defining a proximal ring plane and the distal ring portion defining a distal ring plane, the proximal ring plane forming an oblique angle with the distal ring plane.
 7. The device of claim 6 wherein the distal ring plane has a blade extending there from.
 8. The device of claim 6 wherein a first portion of the blade is substantially parallel to the distal ring plane, a second portion of the blade forms an oblique angle with the distal ring plane.
 9. The device of claim 1 wherein the ring is substantially rectangular.
 10. The device of claim 1 wherein the ring and the blade are of one-piece construction.
 11. The device of claim 1 wherein the ring is constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of metal, polymers, plastics, ceramic, and any combination thereof.
 12. The device of claim 1 wherein the blade is constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of metal, polymers, plastics, ceramic, and any combination thereof.
 13. The device of claim 1 wherein the mouth of the bag has the substantially same dimensions as the ring.
 14. The device of claim 1 wherein the mouth of the bag removably attaches to the ring.
 15. The device of claim 14 wherein the bag is of a netted material.
 16. A device for clearing yard debris comprising: a ring encircling a void space and defining a ring plane, a bag having a mouth, the mouth disposed about the ring, the ring having a proximal end and a distal end, an elongated handle extending from the distal end of the ring, and a blade attached to the proximal end of the ring, the blade having a width substantially the same as the width of the ring, the blade being bent such that a first portion of the blade is substantially parallel to the ring plane, a second portion of the blade forming an oblique angle with the ring plane.
 17. The device of claim 16 wherein the ring is substantially rectangular.
 18. The device of claim 16 wherein the ring and the blade are of one-piece construction.
 19. The device of claim 16 wherein the ring is constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of metal, polymers, plastics, ceramic, and any combination thereof.
 20. The device of claim 16 wherein the blade is constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of metal, polymers, plastics, ceramic, and any combination thereof. 